Deals of the day- Mergers and acquisitions

Reuters Staff

4 Min Read

May 19 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1040 GMT on Tuesday:

** Hewlett-Packard Co has agreed to sell a controlling 51 percent stake in its China-based data-networking business, estimated to be worth more than $2 billion, to Tsinghua Unigroup, a spokesperson for the Chinese private equity fund’s parent company said on Tuesday.

** Deutsche Telekom has agreed to buy the 49 percent of Slovak Telekom it does not already own for 900 million euros ($1.00 billion) from Slovakia’s National Property Fund.

** Philippine conglomerates San Miguel Corp and Metro Pacific Investments Corp have formally submitted bids for a 35.4-billion-peso ($795 million) state contract to develop and operate a toll road project south of Manila.

** Shell has received a 464 million euro ($529 million) binding offer for its Butagaz liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business in France from DCC, marking the next step in the Anglo-Dutch oil major’s drive to sell downstream assets.

** Investment funds Cervinia Europe and Blue Partners sold a combined 8.5 percent stake in Spanish supermarket group Dia for 408.5 million euros ($457 million) on Tuesday, priced at the bottom end of the target range.

** South African fishing firm Oceana Group said on Tuesday it will acquire the entire share capital of U.S. based Daybrook Fisheries for $382.3 million.

** French telecoms operator Orange won European Union regulatory approval on Tuesday for its 3.4-billion-euro ($3.8 billion) takeover of Jazztel after agreeing to help a rival enter the Spanish market.

** British oil major BP and China’s Sinopec Fuel Oil are starting a Singapore-based joint venture in ship fuel storage and sales, BP said in a statement on Tuesday.

** French utility EDF will propose buying the nuclear reactor business of fellow state-controlled group Areva but it is too early to put a price tag on it, EDF Chief Executive Jean-Bernard Levy said.

** Russell Investment Management and China’s Ping An Insurance Group have agreed to terminate their joint investment venture, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters.

** Troubled Dutch builder Ballast Nedam said on Tuesday it was in talks with several foreign companies about a merger or acquisition of the firm.

** Belgium’s Nyrstar, the world’s largest zinc producer, has sold an option to buy its mothballed Peruvian mine in Coricancha to Canada’s Great Panther Silver Limited.

** Oman’s Al Omaniya Financial Services on Tuesday confirmed its interest to participate in a merger and acquisition bidding process with United Finance Co, a day after Bank Nizwa withdrew its application.

** Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd is in talks to sell a minority stake in its loyalty program joint venture to private equity firms, in a deal that could value the business at about $330 million, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

** China Communications Construction Group (CCCG) is paying $148 million to raise its stake and become the biggest shareholder in developer Greentown China Holdings, as the nation’s property sector consolidates amid tight liquidity and sluggish sales.

** Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp and the Development Bank of Japan are set to take a combined 33.4 percent stake in bankrupt budget carrier Skymark Airlines Inc, giving them veto power over major decisions, sources familiar with the plan said. ($1 = 0.89 euros) ($1 = 44.52 Philippine pesos) (Compiled by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru)